JAN.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 51 



tuberous-rooted flowers, as narcissuses, jonquils, tulips, anemones, 

 ranunculuses, hyacinths, and various other sorts. 



The heat of the bark-bed will effectually warm the earth and in- 

 ternal air sufficiently to forward any sorts of hardy flowers and fruits 

 to perfection at an early season ; observing, that although they do 

 not always flower and fruit so abundantly as in the full ground, yet, 

 if there are but a few of any sort, a month or two before their 

 natural season, they, if for sale, will sufficiently pay ; and if for pri- 

 vate use, they will always be acceptable as a rarity and curiosity in 

 the family. 



Fresh air must be admitted in fine sunny days at all opportunities, 

 by sliding some of the glasses more or less open, keeping them close 

 at night; and in very severe weather, the glasses must be covered 

 with mats, or closed with sliding shutters made for that purpose, par- 

 ticularly at night, which trouble might be avoided if there was a fire- 

 flue, by which heat could be introduced to counteract the extreme 

 rigor of the frost, when necessity required. 



When the heat of the bark declines considerably, do not omit 

 forking it over to the bottom, which will revive the decaying heat six 

 or eight weeks longer. 



A bark-heat forcing-frame, nearly of the above dimensions, might 

 be contrived entirely for forcing fruit-trees, having a border within- 

 side along the back wall, three or four feet wide ; there plant young 

 bearing dwarf fruit-trees of any sorts before mentioned, at six or eight 

 feet distance, in the manner of wall or espalier trees, training them 

 also in the same manner as directed for the respective sorts in their 

 natural state of growth. The bark-pit should here be almost half 

 sunk ; and in the beginning of February fill the pit with new tan- 

 bark, which will soon set the trees into bloom, and will ripen their 

 fruit early. 



But the most eligible general forcing-frame for various sorts of 

 plants, is one of the above mentioned construction, having also flues 

 for fire-heat ; the walls must be of brick-work, having two or three 

 returns of flues formed of the same materials, running the whole 

 length of the back wall within, and one or two along the front and 

 ends, by which to convey fire-heat occasionally in severe frosts, cold 

 nights, and in all very cold and intemperate weather, which will be 

 a great improvement in very early forcing, so that this kind of frame 

 will be nearly of the plan of a stove or hot-house. 



In default, however, of any of the above kinds of bark-heat 

 forcing-frames, one might be effected by a common bark-pit, made in 

 any dry sheltered situation, with a brick wall, to any convenient size, 

 and covered with glass lights. This pit is to be principally above 

 ground and filled with good fresh tan to the depth of four feet, in 

 which you may plunge pots of roses, or any other shrubs, any sort of 

 low herbaceous flowering plants, fibrous or bulbous rooted; kidney- 

 beans, strawberries, &c. ; observing, however, that in severe frost, the 

 wall of this pit must be protected by hot dung, leaves or straw," in 

 order to prevent the frost penetrating into the bed, and it must be 

 carefully covered with mats at night, and even in the daytime in very 

 severe weather. 



